With migratory birds swarming their winter retreat of Chilika lagoon, bird hunters seem to be making hay, posing serious challenge to the Wildlife Department.
Only around a fortnight after a poacher was nabbed with birds from Bilapatpur within the lake, the Tangi Range of Chilika Wildlife Division on Saturday arrested another person from Barunapada near Kalupadaghat and seized three birds from his possession.
The poacher was identified as a local Jaya Behera even as three Pintail birds were recovered from him. The Pintails are a species of ducks found in the cold north of Europe and Asia, who migrate to the warmer climes during winter.
The migratory species are easy prey for the hunters as they roost in huge numbers in the lagoon. The birds would have allegedly been sold off to the local eateries for their meat.
With the onset of migration, around 2 lakh birds are estimated to have come into the lagoon. The Wildlife officials have stepped up surveillance in and around the lagoon to curb poaching that assumes height during this time. Most of the camps are in the Tangi Range, which is a very vulnerable area for the birds.
The eateries along the lagoon have also been kept under strict watch while a list of the hunters has been drawn up by the Department and their moves monitored.
